Baby Steps
by Woody2792
Summary: Written for Secret Santa 2013 - a small fluffy Zibbs piece, based on prompts from Sexinsatin. What happens when Ziva and Gibbs have a conversation about regrets, and human s'mores pops up?


_Okay, so here it is! Finally managed to eek out another story. Apologies for my lack of existence, 2013 was a fairly tough year for me, but I'm hoping to get back into writing some form of fanfic again. I hope you enjoy this! As always, let me know any thoughts, queries and ideas!_

_Woody2792x_

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Ziva had tried everything to calm her mind down after the day's work. She had stripped her guns down and cleaned them until shiny before fitting the pieces back together, she had drunk her hot chocolate and tried to read her book before resorting to getting her knives out to sharpen and polish. Five sets of knives later and her mind was still racing as fast as it had been earlier in the day. She ran herself a hot bath and made herself a hot cup of tea in the hope that her aunt's old method of relaxing might aid her.

As it goes, today was no more special than any other day. There had been the usual paperwork to fill in, the usual threats towards Tony and the usual phone call that resulted in Gibbs calling them to gear up. The case had not been anything too unusual – ex marine with a debilitating life condition threatening to blow up a rehabilitation hospital unless he was offered some help. Okay, so maybe they had not had a case quite like it before, but they had certainly faced life or death situations where life had seemed a million miles away compared to death. They had apprehended Petty Officer Haines after a six hour stand off with no injuries, no explosions and no ill effects.

Turns out that Mark Haines had been given two weeks left to live by his doctor, a week ago, and he could not accept that there was nothing that could be done to help lengthen his life. His parents had died when he was a teenager, and he was the only family that was left for his baby sister, due to graduate next year.

In reality, his life sentence was no more or less severe than that of Roy several years ago. Ziva had been close to him, through their love of running and extended time together in his last few days, but Mark Haines? He was someone who had threatened her life and that of a hundred others today. So why was she unable to switch her brain off to give her some peace and quiet? The hot water was not helping at all, other than to ease her strained muscles.

She sat up, paused for a second, and then got up and dressed in a tee and cargos before leaving her apartment. She knew where she could find some support, even if not answers.

Out of habit, she found herself knocking on the heavy wooden door before shaking her head. One day, he would learn that he never locked his door, and never would. Ziva turned the handle and let herself into the house, closing the door behind her quietly. She did not make her way straight down to the basement, instead going to the kitchen to make two mugs of coffee. With them brewed, she made her way down the stairs to Gibbs' woodworking basement, breathing in the familiar smell of fine dust and a hint of bourbon.

There in front of her, sanding down the midline base of a new boat was her boss. She sat on a stool at the workbench, clasping her mug close to her chest in an attempt to warm up.

'You okay Ziver?'

And with that, she knew. She knew why her mind was turning endlessly and listlessly; why she couldn't settle and why she couldn't relax. She had to know something, find something out.

'Gibbs, if you knew that there was only one day left, how would you live it?'

Gibbs stopped his sanding, running his hand over the bow and blowing gently. He then clapped his hands to clear them of dust and came over to stand next to her, picking up his coffee.

'Well, I'd find the best damn coffee around and have at least three mugs of it before I let anyone end the day. This about today?'

'I think so, yes. It is inevitable that we all shall die one day, but Petty Officer Haines has made me question my own mortal-ness.'

'Mortality, Ziva. Well, what would you do?'

'I do not know and I think that is what is bothering me.'

'C'mon, let's go upstairs.'

Once up there they settled themselves on the sofa and drank their coffee in silence, both thinking about the same subject. One day left, what would you do? Gibbs disappeared upstairs quickly after he finished his drink, returning wearing a hoodie and holding out one for Ziva to put on – his USMC red one. She smiled as she took it, snuggling herself down into it and the sofa, relishing the warmth and comfort.

'Surely you would do more than drink three mugs of coffee Gibbs? You must have things that you would like to do before it all ends?'

'Sure I do. Try to live like I could go any day now. That way no regrets. Used to be a real possibility in the Marines, kinda carried over from that.'

'So you have no regrets?'

'I have many regrets. They're just ones I have to be okay living with. Hard some days, really prominent on others. Doesn't seem to make me change things though. You had any thoughts?'

'There is so much that I would like to do before I die. Marriage , children, house… Or as Tony likes to say, the whole…shebang? Other than that, visit places I have been to before but have not enjoyed. And human s'mores. Whatever they are.'

Struggling to hide a smirk, Gibbs found himself raising one eyebrow and chuckling.

'Human s'mores huh?'

'Well, I like s'mores, and people are nice too… surely there cannot be anything wrong with novelty shaped s'mores?'

'No, nothing wrong with novelty shaped food. Course, there's nothing wrong with human s#mores either, but they aren't quite what you mean. You'd probably enjoy them though, possibly more.'

'What have I mistaken this time?'

'Swap the cracker for a human body and ya getting closer to the real deal.'

Even in the low light he could see a blush spread across her cheeks, making him chuckle even more. She lightly punched his arm, at which he coughed and stopped chuckling. She fixed him with a trademark glare and slight curl to the lip.

'Go on then, you tell me more about yours seeing as you find mine funny.'

'Well, if I had the guts I'd probably talk to this one person a whole lot more. Other than that just little things. Like the coffee, I'd wanna find a killer bacon sandwich. Sit and watch the sunrise and the sunset - '

'With that person?'

'Sure, if she'd have me. Watch the moon rise, maybe howl at it like wolves. I'd hang loose and free, spend the day enjoying myself and trying to make her happy too.'

'Who is she, Gibbs?'

'Someone that I have a lot of respect for. She's worked hard and sacrificed a lot to get to where she does and do what she does. Aside from that, she's passionate about everything she does and still finds the time to do things she enjoys too.'

'She sounds like a good person.'

'Yeah, she is'.'

'You should tell her Gibbs. As you said, live everyday as though it was your last. Make today your last of not telling her.'

'Nah, too old for her. She'll have choice of hundreds anyway.'

Ziva reached over to the coffee table and grabbed his mobile off it, before offering it to him, palm upwards.

'Go on. At least then you will not have to live with the regret of not knowing. That is sometimes worse than knowing and feeling rejection.'

'I'll do it later.'

'Now, Gibbs. I will not ask who she is. All you have to do is ask her to coffee, or breakfast. Baby steps, yes?'

With a grumble, Gibbs grabbed his phone out of her hand and flipped it open. He stared at her for a second, comtemplating whether to just pretend, but simply from the look on Ziva's face he knew that he could never pull it off convincingly. So he dialled the number and waited for her to pick up.

Three seconds later and something started to vibrate against Ziva's leg. A text, she thought, at first, but as it buzzed some more, she grabbed it from her cargos pocket. Caller ID? Gibbs. She flipped her cell open and, looking into his blue eyes, spoke.

'Yes, Gibbs?'

'Fancy breakfast tomorrow, my treat?'

'That would be lovely, yes.'

'Okay then.'

They both hung up and there was a brief moment of silence before Ziva looked back over to her boss.

'See? I told you it would not be that bad.'


End file.
